Category: New Cars and Trucks

We went to the State Fair of Texas last weekend to check out the brand new Chevy Trax! The Trax showcased at the State Fair Auto Show is Orange Rock Metallic with the Light Titanium interior. Getting pictures with a cell phone was a little challenging because the incredibly bright lights of the Auto Show, but we tried our best to capture a few angles. The pictures on the Chevrolet website are much more fun to look at and will give you a much better overall picture about the Chevy Trax.

While roaming around the Auto Show, testing out the features of all of the Chevy models and searching for the little Chevy buttons*, a Chevrolet rep gave a brief overview of the Trax which we stuck around to listen to.

Here are the 10 Trax Facts that we learned at the Auto Show!

Smallest of the Crossovers but still seats 5

8 different seating configurations

15 Storage areas with a two tier glove box, lots of little cubbies and plenty of cupholders

We’re excited to experience the 2015 Chevy Trax for ourselves! Head out to the State Fair and check out the Trax for yourself! We would love to hear what you think of it!

*Side note about the Chevy buttons. We found these little buttons in the cupholder of the Trax and on the display by the Chevy reps. The rep told my son, who is 4, that it was part of a scavenger hunt and if he collected all 5 buttons he would get a Big Tex button. Sold. My son spent the next hour looking for the rest of the buttons. Sadly, little brother wasn’t having anymore of the scavenger hunt and we had to leave before he found the rest. I’ll probably have to take him back by himself to hunt for the rest of the buttons! Either way, it was fun hunting for the buttons!

The 2015 Chevy Silverado is turning a lot of heads in the automotive world and our Sales team was eager to share their favorite things about the 2015 Silverado. These are just a few of our favorite things about the redesigned Silverado, and let’s face it, this list doesn’t even scratch the surface of why we love this truck!

MyLink: USB and Bluetooth connectivity allows you the freedom to stay connected on the go. MyLink uses natural speech commands and has navigation system with 3D maps and points of interest helps take the guess work out of where you are going and how to get there.

MyLink navigation with 3D maps.

3 Ecotec3 V8 Motor: This motor gives the truck 355 horsepower and offers up to 23 highway MPG. This powerful, direct injection V8 allows the Silverado to be the most fuel efficient V8 truck on the road, getting 1 more highway MPG than Ford’s V6 Ecoboost. Visit this page to see the direct injection in action!

4G LTE: The 2015 Silverado is the next model to double as a rolling WI-FI hotspot! This 4G LTE service is faster, more reliable, and more powerful than a smartphone’s hotspot. It can extend up to 50 feet outside the vehicle, which is great for those of you that like to take your work with you in the great outdoors.

4G LTE WI-FI available on the 2015 Silverado

Triple Sealed Doors: Another feature favored by our sales team is the triple sealed, in laid doors. Most trucks have 2 seals between the body and the door, but the 2015 Silverado bumps it up to the next level with an extra seal making the Silverado the quietest interior in it’s class.

Tow Max Package: Even though the ride is quiet and smooth, the 2015 Silverado is still a working beast. The Max Trailering package, which is available with both V8 engines, allows you to trailer up to 12,000 pounds. This trailer package allows you the freedom to haul everything from 4 wheelers to horse trailers. Trailer sway control works with the StabiliTrak system to automatically apply the brakes to both the truck and the trailer if the system detects the trailer rocking. Not sure if you need the Tow Max package? Visit this chevy page and see what kind of package would work best for your Silverado.

Cage Construction and Crush Zones: Steel pillars, side door beams and a steel reinforced roof all help keep the passenger area of the Silverado safer during a collision. The crush zones have been strategically placed by safety engineers to divert the impact and the energy from a collision away from the passengers. The 2015 Silverado 1500 is the first pickup trick to receive the highest possible five-star Overall Vehicle Score for safety since the NHTSA changed its rating system. Safety is a top priority for Chevrolet and the Silverado didn’t score five stars on accident!
Framework of the 2015 Silverado from chevrolet.com

Right now the 2015 Silverado can be a little difficult to track down for yourself, but we have a little secret. We have two 2015 Silverado trucks in stock, right now, ready for a test drive. Every customer that driven one has been impressed with the upgrades and the little touches that go a long way! Stop by the showroom during our Chevy Truck Month and ask to test drive a new Silverado today!

If you have been paying attention to the commercials and different social media platforms, you will probably have noticed that Chevrolet has debuted a new feature on the all new Chevy Malibu. The new 2015 Malibu is now available with Wi-Fi built right into the car. Yep, that’s right. The new 2015 Chevy Malibu is a rolling hotspot, as long as the car is on or running on accessory power. GM and OnStar have pulled out all of the stops to make Chevy life more convenient for today’s busy customers and there are plans in the works to roll out the 4G LTE service to many more GM vehicles.

While we patiently anxiously wait for 4G LTE service to roll out to more models, here are 5 fast facts about the new Wi-Fi service.

1. Connect as many as 7 devices at once!

2. Faster, more reliable and more powerful than a smartphone’s hotspot!

3. Wi-Fi is always on when the vehicle is running, or in accessory mode.

4. The Wi-Fi hotspot extends 50 feet beyond the vehicle!

5. The first 3 months or 3GB of data are included with the purchase of the 2015 Malibu. After 3 months, or 3GB of data, select an OnStar plan that works best for you.

Interested in learning more about the Malibu’s new 4G LTE capabilities? Visit OnStar’s website for more fast facts or stop by the New Car showroom today! Our 2015 Chevy Malibu’s are also available to look at online at our website. Our sales team is standing by, waiting to connect you with your new Malibu!

Being a first time car buyer is an exciting experience whether you are 16, 23, or 43! The good news is, there are a lot of good resources out there about how to buy your first car. The bad news is, it can be kind of difficult to take in all of this information and make a concise decision. Never fear, that’s what we are here for! We chatted with New Car Salesman Jeff Sorrels about what a first time car buyer needs to know! Jeff has been with the Fairbanks Family for 21 years so he has seen plenty of first time buyers come through our doors. Here are Jeff’s Tips for first time car buying.

Jeff’s Top 5 Tips for First Time Car Buyers:

Check your budget and then check it again.

There is nothing more disappointing than falling in love with a car and not being able to swing the monthly payment. When you are building yourself a budget, be sure it’s a budget that you can live with. Don’t forget to budget enough for the monthly payment, gas, and insurance.

Make friends with your Insurance Agent.

Reach out to your insurance agent before you ever step foot on a dealer’s lot. Find out exactly what kind of coverage that you currently have and ask questions about how much your monthly rate would change if you were driving a Camaro or a Silverado. It’s no secret that a two door sports car costs more to insure than a SUV. Ask your insurance agent about all of your options.

Save for a down payment.

10-20% of the total price of the vehicle is a ballpark amount for a down payment. Shop online to look for different models and trim levels. Aim to save 20% of the highest trim level for the model that you are interested in, you’ll be in great shape once you sit down in the finance office.

If you don’t have a trade in, a sizable down payment is going to do several things in your favor. First, it lets the financial institutions know that you mean business and that you have thought carefully about this decision. Second, it can reduce the interest rate that financial institutions will offer you. Low interest rates are good. High interest rates are bad.

Study finance terms before you get into the Finance Office.

If you are going to need to finance your first big purchase (most people do), it’s a good idea to learn about finance before you sit down with the Finance Manager. A lot of people feel a little overwhelmed talking about large numbers and percentages with someone they just met, and it can be a little more stressful if you aren’t familiar with the lingo. Brush up on common terms and abbreviations like interest rates, co-signers, and APR. The more information that you can arm yourself with the better. If you ever have any questions about anything being discussed in the Finance Office, please don’t hesitate to ask for further clarification!

Shop with an open mind.

Sometimes customers walk into the dealership and they know exactly what they want. That’s great! Other times customers aren’t quite sure what they are looking for, but they know they need specific features. That’s great too! Be prepared to tell your sales team your wants and needs in a vehicle and don’t be afraid to check out something different than what you had in mind. Salesmen are trained to match your wants and needs to the vehicle that will be an appropriate fit.

There you have it, Jeff’s Top 5 Tips for First Time Buyers! Our Sales Team is always available to go over your options and answer any questions that you may have. Not ready to come to the dealership? No problem, our entire inventory can be viewed online at our website from the comfort of your own home. Happy shopping!

The Chevrolet Malibu now comes with the all new eAssist capability. The Chevrolet Malibu Eco cars are all front-wheel drive with a lightly electrified gas engine. The eAssist program has a battery located in the trunk as an additional power source. The battery assists the engine with using a belt-starter/ generator. Equipped with 196 horsepower this full-sized sedan is economically friendly and gives you power when you need it the most.

WHERE IS ALL OF THE NOISE?

The noise is no more! The Malibu now has a more sophisticated driving experience, due to chassis and suspension updates. These give the Malibu an overall more quiet and smoother ride. These updated features also give the vehicle better handling skills and decreased body roll (when turning corners). The Malibu also comes featured with four-wheel antilock disc brakes that help to guarantee a reliable stopping performance.

36 MPG

The Chevrolet Malibu eAssist allows for 36 MPG. The reason for this awesome fuel efficiency is due to the 4-cylinder engine. The engine has been redesigned with efficiency in mind. The eAssist was designed to help you, the consumer, save gas. The Malibu now comes with efficient stop/start technology.

THE ALL NEW STOP/START TECHNOLOGY.

The stop/ start technology is a gas saving feature designed with you in mind. For example, if you are driving and get stuck at a red light ten cars deep, the engine of the Malibu will automatically shut off when the car is stopped. While still maintaining all of the creature comforts we all love; from ice cold air conditioning to full stereo sound. When you let off of the brake, the car will flawlessly restart. This technology will allow you to save money at the pump and that is especially important as gas prices continue to rise.

FEELING SPORTY?

You can now opt for the Ecotec 2.0 L turbocharged engine. This engine gives you the feel of a V6 in an efficient 4-cylinder and offers 259 horsepower. This model lets you have all the fun of a turbocharged vehicle without all of the stops at the gas stations along the way.

There you have it folks, 5 things you should know about the all new Chevy Malibu brought to you by our friendly sales team here at Chuck Fairbanks Chevrolet! Stop by this weekend and take one for a spin!

It’s going to happen sooner or later, your children are going to become teenagers and start driving. We feel your pain, it hasn’t been easy watching our own children get behind the wheel and drive off into the sunset, probably at a faster rate of speed than we would like.

We took a poll around the dealership at what the deciding factors were in choosing cars for our own teenagers. We polled the sales managers and their sales team, the finance office, the accounting office, the service advisors and the service technicians, the parts department, and the collision center.

Here is what the professionals are concerned with.

As you can see from our spiffy pie chart, the responses were in line with concerned parents all over putting safety as their number one priority. The second highest category was reliability of the vehicle and payment and insurance coverage came in third.

As far as safety goes, our concerned parents mentioned everything from extra side curtain airbags and OnStar capabilities. These are features that are available on most new models as well as several pre-owned models. No matter which one you choose to test drive, ask about additional safety features that might not come to mind immediately like Forward Collision Alert and OnStar’s Automatic Crash Response.

If you are looking at a pre-owned vehicle for your first time driver, ask about the warranty options that come with the vehicle. Ask a lot of open ended “what-if” types of questions and don’t be afraid to tell your sales team member, and your teenager, that you would like to think about this big decision and won’t be pressured into signing any paperwork today.

A few more things that came up in our survey were things like size of the vehicle. Our parents didn’t want their new driver to be able to pack a bunch of their friends in the car, but at the same time weren’t comfortable with them driving something too small either. Our parents were also concerned about insurance for the new vehicle. It’s a great idea to have a conversation with your insurance provider before coming to the dealership because the cost of insuring a new driver might sway your decision on which types of vehicles you will want to test drive.

No matter what you choose to purchase, or where you choose to purchase, make it a memorable experience! A first car is a right of passage and a memory that will stick with your teen for the rest of their lives. Take lots of pictures and go for ice cream afterwards! Good luck and happy car shopping!

Before your family started growing, buying a new vehicle for yourself used to be a fairly straight forward process. See a truck, pick out the color and the trim level and sign on the dotted line in the finance office. Now that you have a growing family, buying a new vehicle can be an overwhelming task. Never fear, we’ve outlined a few things for you to consider when looking at a new car or truck.

Safety

You know your new vehicle is going to come with some standard safety features like air bags and seat belts, but what about those extra safety features that manufacturers are always going on about? Those extra features like OnStar’s Automatic Crash Response, Side Blind Zone Alert and Lane Departure Warnings are available on most new Chevys and really set Chevrolet apart from the pack in safety.

OnStar’s Automatic Crash Response will detect when your vehicle has been in a crash and will connect an adviser to your vehicle to see if you need any assistance. Side Blind Zone Alert uses radar sensors to keep an eye on those dreaded blind spots on the side of your new vehicle. When an object is in your Side Blind Spot, a LED light illuminates on your side mirror to alert you. Lane Departure Warning alerts you whenever your vehicle starts drifting from the lane that you are in without using the turn indicator.

The 2014 Impala received a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score for Safety which is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) highest rating.

Comfort and Cargo

One of the biggest challenges of buying a family friendly vehicle is making sure that you don’t sacrifice comfort for cargo space and cargo space for comfort. Finding a happy median is key! Thankfully, the 2014 Traverse and the 2015 Tahoe have all of the cargo space your family will need without being skimpy on the creature comforts!

The 2014 Traverse boasts a class-leading 116.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row and the Traverse makes it easier to access all of your goodies with its power remote lift gate. The Traverse also uses Smart Slide second row seating, making it easier than ever to load the little league team without mud getting all over the upholstery.

The 2015 Tahoe offers the convenience of power folding, flat folding, third row seats giving the Tahoe plenty of room to haul fishing gear to the lake. The Tahoe LTZ models have standard heated and cooled leather front seats and with multiple seating configurations, it’s easier than ever to customize your seating to fit your family’s personal needs.

Seating Arrangements and Car Seats

If you have little ones in tow the last things you want to hear on your daily drive is “Mom, she’s touching my arm!” or “Dad, he’s breathing my air.” or even “Stop looking out my window!!”. These are all things that have been said in our car this week. Right now, our little ones are stuck in their car seats so they don’t have many options when it comes to where to sit to get away from their brother, but soon enough they will be out of car seats and free to roam the cabin until the seat belt sign comes on. If that day is here for you, bring the kids along when you look at new vehicle options and have them sit where they would normally sit. Are they a little too close to each other for comfort or do they have enough room for all of their stuffed animals pals?

With car seat requirements changing as often as your child outgrows a new pair of shoes, it’s incredibly important to make sure that your car seats will fit into your new vehicle. Don’t just look at the interior and assume that your 3 car seats will fit in the back seat of an Impala. Depending on the size of the seat, they might fit, but the time to figure out the car seat logistics is in the dealership parking lot, not in your driveway while you are running later for preschool. For the record, we DID get 3 seats (two toddler seats and an infant carrier) in the back seat of an Impala safely, but it would have been MUCH easier in a larger vehicle like a Traverse or Tahoe. Don’t be afraid to test out your car seats in the new vehicle before you sign any papers, your back will thank us later.

Stop by our showroom and let us know that you are looking for a family friendly vehicle that will be able to last your family through it’s growing years! Our sales team is full of guys with families of their own, so they know where you’re coming from when you say family friendly!